'SELAMAT DATANG KE BLOG 'PUSAT MAKLUMAT RAKYAT KUCHING'

LEAVING THIS BLOG NOW...................

As I will be on a long months' holidays starting 7th July 2010 prior to my retirement in October 2010, I will suspend my service in updating my blog on daily issues or facts of interest.

I would like to thanks everyone for having the interest in surfing my blog and sharing the thoughts with me.

Thank you to everyone.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Sarawak ‘shields’ balance

Taib’s team delivers biggest number of seats to BN; Bandar Kuching remains with DAP

SARAWAK last night proved that it is the bastion of the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the country with the state coalition chairman and Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud as the defender of the ‘dacing’.The coalition conceded only one out of the 31 seats contested to the opposition pending the results from Hulu Rajang as 221 voters in three polling stations there will cast their votes today.It is believed that after the last available ballot box in Hulu Rajang was counted last night, the BN candidate, Billy Abit Joo, was ahead of his opponent by some 2,000 votes.The only seat that the BN lost was Bandar Kuching.

Despite the BN’s best efforts, it could not unseat the Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) Chong Chieng Jen, who had instead managed to increase his majority.

Taib, in a brief radio message aired from his residence, Demak Jaya, at almost midnight expressed his gratitude to voters in Sarawak for giving the coalition a strong mandate.

“I would like to thank the rakyat in Sarawak who have given such huge victory to BN in this election.

“I believe the BN will be able to form the government again and I pray that the government that will be formed will run smoothly.

“We in Sarawak will certainly give the victories that we have secured to the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) as our show of support to him,” he added.The BN had secured five seats uncontested in Sarawak.

It was, by and large, a night of mixed-emotions for BN leaders not only in the state but the country as a whole.

Although the BN pulled through and even increased Sarawak’s representation in parliament last night, it was not without drama.

Despite the coalition’s best efforts, it could not recapture Bandar Kuching.The BN had given the trust to new face, Alan Sim, the Youth chief of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), to take down Chong.

However, Sim, who knew right from the start that he was facing an uphill battle, could manage only 12,949 votes, losing to Chong by a margin of 9,952 votes.

The total votes cast in Bandar Kuching were 36,092 from a turnout of 68.13 per cent.In Sarikei, Sarawak saw the only five-cornered fight this election.

The BN candidate, Ding Kuong Hing, another new face from SUPP, scrapped through with a majority of only 51 votes - the smallest majority ever recorded in a parliamentary election in Sarawak.

Except for Bandar Kuching, SUPP has delivered its other six seats - equalling its performance in the 2004 election though with a lower majority for some of its incumbents.Besides Ding, the BN’s other new faces also won.